Back to the Nightmare
by LolAya
Summary: 7 years have passed since the event that happened at the Art Gallery. Ib and Garry doesn't remember a thing but what will happen when they go back at the same time?
1. Chapter 1 Reunion

So, I just recently finished the game and I was _soooo_ eager to create a fanfic about it! Even though it doesn't have much of a popularity here, but who cares about popularity? It's fanfic!

Spoiler Alert: Don't read if you haven't finished the game yet.

* * *

Chapter 1 Reunion?

Ib stared at the art gallery pamphlet she got from the lady in the street. She was giving it off to everyone, and even though she shook her head, the lady managed to stuff one in her hands and walk away.

It was about the art gallery she's been to when she was still young and it was showing another series of Guertena's work, different from the ones she's seen before.

"I'll give it to mama later." She mumbled to herself as she crossed the road. She passed by the café and she thought she saw a familiar person. She rubbed her eyes and looked inside again. Nope, she knew nobody there. "Am I hallucinating? Anyway, better hurry home before it gets dark…"

Later that evening, after her father came back home from work, she gave the pamphlet to them and they suggested going there again. After all, it's been 7 years, and the new artworks might be interesting. Ib shrugged, since she didn't have anything to do this weekend, going to the art gallery might be a good idea, and she might even get some inspiration for an art project she was working on.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Garry took a sip of his coffee as he read his paper. He was in the café and it was full with customers, though it didn't matter to him. He picked up a macaroon and stuffed the bite-size pastry in his mouth as he skimmed through the uninteresting news. Suddenly, an ad caught his attention. It was about the art gallery and it said it has some new art works from Guertena that was lately discovered.

He thought about it and remembered he went there before, about 7 years ago. He also saw it on a newspaper ad before and woke up early in the morning just for that. Inside the art gallery was like…well, an art gallery, filled with paintings, sculptures, and such. Plus it was very quiet except for the few gallery staff explaining to the crowd. That day was well spent. But something bothered him, like there was something tugging at his chest, telling him that he forgot something, not to mention that he felt extremely tired afterwards, even though he didn't do anything but just admire a few artworks.

"Maybe I'll go again." He said to himself as he ate the last macaroon and finished his coffee. He stayed for a bit more before putting money on the table and leaving the café back to his apartment. "This Saturday would do."

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"Hm? What is it? You want to go ahead? Ok, then. Be sure not to break or touch anything, and don't disrupt the other visitors."

"Alright, mama, I'm not a 9 year old anymore and you know that." Ib said as she rolled her eyes. Sometimes her mother can be overprotective and think of her as still a child.

She wandered in the art gallery and took a few glances at the paintings on the wall. She was disappointed. Nothing here was interesting.

_So much for inspiration…_ she thought to herself. She yawned as she walked by some few paintings, completely ignoring them. She had a dream last night. Well, it was more like a nightmare. She dreamt that she was all alone in a dark room filled with paintings and sculptures and creepy looking rag dolls. She remembered she was clutching dearly to a red rose that was wilting and only had a single petal left on the stem, which threatened to fall off as her hands shivered in terror. She didn't know why she had a rose at that time or why it seemed so important, but she did know that she was with someone else, a man, standing beside her and holding her hand.

Suddenly she saw a painting that looked familiar and walked up to it. It was a painting of man hanged upside down with the rope tied to his ankles.

"Wasn't this here before? I thought they were showing new artworks." Ib said to herself, not expecting anybody to reply.

"Yes, it was. I wonder why they never took it down." Said the man beside her. He glanced at Ib and apologized. "Sorry, did I startle you?"

"It's alright. I wasn't expecting anyone to talk to me here." Ib smiled at the man and he smiled back. He was about in his late twenties with purple hair and wearing a rugged coat. The man stared at her for a while, as if recognizing someone.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Ib also didn't expect this and looked at him weirdly. Is he trying to hit on her? Here in the art gallery?

He realized it and soon said sorry. "Sorry, but I didn't mean it like that. You really look familiar, though."

"I don't think so, I've never met you."

"Is that so? Well, sorry for bothering you." He shrugged as he continued to study the painting in front of them.

Ib pretended to admire the painting as well, but she found herself glancing back to the man beside her. His hair was a light purple with a few dark strands on the top of his head and though his coat was rugged, Ib could see that it was made out of fine material. He didn't look exactly handsome, but still above average and even though Ib didn't say it, he also looked awfully familiar. Ib realized that she was now staring at him and blushed as she walked away.

The man looked up and saw that the girl was already gone so he shrugged and proceeded to the next painting.

Ib walked to the other wing and saw another familiar art work, it was a rose sculpture called the "Embodiment of Spirit". It looked exactly like a real rose, and there were some petals on the ground. She had a flashback and remembered a kid who was also looking at the statue and wanted to get the petals.

"What is with this place? They say they had new artworks but most of the paintings and sculptures are still the same." _Is it in the "New Exhibition" Area? Maybe, wherever that is._

She walked further inside and saw the same huge oil painting she saw years ago. If she remembered correctly, it was called "Fabricated World". She walked towards the painting and read the name aloud. Suddenly, after a few moments of flickering lights, the lights went off and she was enveloped in darkness. She waited until her eyes got used to the dark and proceeded to the reception table, where she assumed her parents were. As she walked her way back, she noticed that there were no other people left and she could hear faint footsteps coming from every direction.

As she found her way to the reception desk, no one was there, not even her parents. She checked the front gates, but it was securely locked, the windows were foggy and probably wouldn't break even if she threw a chair at it.

"Mama and papa surely wouldn't abandon me here." She frowned. "And where are the other people?"

As she wandered around, she heard the footsteps were becoming louder and she followed the sound. She came in a room and saw there was a painting on the floor. "Abyss of the Deep", she recalled, and saw blue footprints just outside the painting, as if telling her to jump in.

"Nonsense, it's a just a painting." Ib laughed at her own thought. But she nevertheless tried. She put one foot on it and it quickly sunk. She tried to pull it out but it was like there was an invisible hand pulling her in. "What the hell…!"

Something was pulling her hard, and she fell in, then everything was black. When she came to, she was standing on a staircase that leads to somewhere below. There was a wall behind her and she wondered how she got there. From the ceiling? But it didn't have a hole.

The hallway was blue and she couldn't hear anything but her own breathing and footsteps as she descended the stairs.

"Better than doing nothing." She told herself, and she had a feeling that she had experienced this before.

She came to a hallway that lead to both sides and there was two painting, one red and one blue. She went to her right and at the far end she saw a vase on a table with a red rose in it.

"Strange, who would put a table on front of a door?" Ib asked herself as she picked up the rose. It only had a few petals left and she quickly put it back in the water-filled vase. Amazingly, the rose immediately gained a few more petals and looked healthier than ever.

She took the rose with her and she pushed the table to the side, wanting to go in the originally blocked door. Inside was a big painting of a smiling woman and on the floor was a blue key. As soon as she picked it up, the woman's smile turned into a really wide and eerie grin and her eyes were suddenly open. Ib backed out of the room in horror and saw there were words written in red paint on the walls and floor. The writing on the wall was scrambled and she couldn't make out the words, but the one on the floor was clear enough to read.

"You thief. Again."

"When did this appear? And what did it mean by again?" Ib pressed her fingers on her temple, a migraine forming each passing second after she came here. She had a strange feeling of nostalgia, and she didn't like it. "Well, whatever it means, I need to get of here quick."

She ran back to where the staircase was but was surprised that it wasn't there anymore, only a blank wall. She swallowed hard and continued to press on forward. At the other end of the hallway was a locked door and she used the blue key on it. It fit perfectly and she went in.

It was another hallway and this time the wall was filled with hanging pictures of various insects and bugs. There was a small ant on the floor roaming about in circles and when she walked in front of it, it suddenly talked about a painting about itself and complained that it was too far away. A talking ant was some shocking news, but Ib was starting to get used to the absurdity of this place. _If a painting can change in a matter seconds, I guess a talking ant isn't much of a big deal._

She wanted to press on but still read the sign before going further. "Beware the edges."

"Edges? Edges of the wall? Why should I?" She asked, but she quickly realized why. As she walked by, careful to not walk too close to edges just as the sign warned, hands came out and almost touched her.

"Holy mother of…!" she jumped to the side, and another hand popped out. She ran as hands as dark as shadows came out from the walls and wriggling, trying to get her, but she was too far to reach and she ran as fast she could. When she assumed that there will be no more hands popping out, she slowed down and panted heavily. "What is with this place…?"

She noticed a door and tried it, but it was locked shut. She'd need a key. She also noticed an ant painting and examined it. It looked like any other painting but realized that it was removable.

"Maybe this is the painting that ant was talking about…" She said as she took it off from the wall.

She walked back to the ant, still careful not to let the hands touch her, and showed it the painting. It made a few comments and stared at it as Ib showed it the picture, but since it didn't demand the painting or anything, she assumed she could take it with her. She went in another door and there was a gap, big enough that Ib couldn't just jump to other end, but small enough for her to put the ant painting there and walk over it. As she stepped over, she heard a ripping sound and saw that the painting was damaged.

"Oops, I guess I'm too heavy. A few more steps and it might break."

She stepped out of the room and saw a mannequin with a red key lying on the floor in front of it. She thought it was weird to put a key there, but that might key might be the one for the other looked door. She picked it up and she thought she saw movement from the mannequin. She took a step back and the mannequin took a step forward. They stared at each other for a while before Ib ran back to the room as the mannequin chased her with it's flailing arms. She stepped over the painting and she almost fell in the hole as the canvas wasn't strong enough to support her, but her other foot was already at the other side and she quickly stepped up. The mannequin chased her to the room but since the canvas was broken, she couldn't pass through.

Ib went out with a rapid heart beat and sweating forehead. She was almost killed by the mannequin. "If there are these things here, would I still encountering them in the future?"

Nevertheless, she got the key she needed and made her way back to the locked door. She passed by the ant again and it asked her where the painting was, but she just sheepishly walked away from it. the key fit the door perfectly and she was now in a room with several sculptures and paintings. The only other door was locked and she had to find another key. She wandered around and went to examine a painting called "The Lady in Red". She was very beautiful, and when Ib was about to walk away, the upper half body of the Lady in Red jumped out of the painting, using her hands to move her body, which was still in the frame. Luckily, she wasn't too bright and Ib successfully lured her far enough so she could grab the key that fell out with her and run to the locked door.

As soon as she was in the other room, she slid her back against the door and sighed in relief. "Just how many scares would I need to encounter before I get out of this cursed place?"

She was sitting on the floor, waiting patiently for her heart beat to return to normal, when she heard footsteps. She assumed it was an adult because it was loud and quickly hid at the darkest corner of the room, wishing that it wasn't another monster.

As the footsteps became louder, Ib subconsciously grabbed the red rose in her pocket. The owner of the footsteps was soon revealed under the faint light and Ib saw that he was the man she met at the museum whom she thought was familiar.

"Strange…I thought I heard somebody. Then again, it might be one of those monsters…" He looked around the room and fixed his gaze to where Ib was. "Whoa!"

He jumped back in surprise and Ib was also startled. After he recovered, he slowly walked up to her. "Aren't you…the girl at the gallery?"

Ib nodded and he sighed. "Thank god someone else is here besides me! I'd never make it out of this place all alone!"

Once Ib made sure he wasn't an enemy, she slowly came out of her hiding place and faced him. "I thought you were an enemy…"

"Really? Sorry again. I didn't mean to scare you or anything. By the way, since it seems like we'll be going together, mind telling me your name? I'm Garry."

"My name's…Ib."

"Ib? What a unique name, though it sounds familiar somehow." He smiled and offered an outstretched hand. Ib stared at it first and finally returned the handshake.

"So, Ib, how did you get here?" Garry asked as he sat on the ground and Ib sat beside him, though a few inches away.

"I was looking at a big painting and the lights were suddenly turned off. And I was searching for my parents or anybody, when I saw footprints outside of a painting, so I stepped in, and then I was suddenly in a blue hallway…"

"I see…we're somewhat the same, I guess." Garry said. "Well, we better hurry and find the exit. Do you still want to rest for a while?"

Ib shook her head and stood up. "I'm fine."

"Ok, then." Garry also stood up and that was when Ib realized that he was so tall. "Let's go." He walked in front and his hand grabbed hers. It was big and warm and Ib liked the feeling, but it's weird for a stranger to do that.

Garry noticed Ib's awkward silence and immediately let go of her hand. "Agh, I'm so sorry, I grabbed your hand unconsciously! I'm really, really sorry!" _Great, now she probably thinks I'm a pedo or something like that._

But Ib took hold of his sleeve and he turned around to see Ib blushing. "I-I'm scared. We might get s-separated…"

Garry smiled at her and she just blushed harder. Somehow, this Garry makes her feel safe, even if she had a feeling that all hell is about to break loose.

* * *

Yay! seven years have passed and Ib is now a teenager! And I purposely made Garry 21 years old during the time the game happened, so now he's 28! A 16 year old and a 28 year old...meh, my mom and dad have an age gap of 18 years, so I guess it's alright! Plus, I didn't want to make Garry look like a pedo, you know, lusting over a little girl. I gotta admit it's cute, but I don't really like it when the age gap is _too_ big. Btw, it's still a better love story than Twilight ;) (sorry Twilight fans, don't take offense on this, the book is alright, but the movie? Please.)

Anyway, please leave a review if you can! I don't care whether it's just a few words or an essay, just please leave a review as much as you can! Thanks a loooooot~


	2. Chapter 2 Dream or Memory?

So, here's the new chapter. Finally! :D

I know Ib is kinda OOC here, but I tried my best :c

**Reply to reviews:**

** Mizumori Fumaira: Yeah, I know, she is kind of OOC, but it's been 7 years and she's 16 already, changes are bound to happen, right? I'll try to make her more like the Ib in the game as much as possible in the next chapters. Thanks a lot :D  
**

** Colleen Sotac: Thanks! :D**

* * *

Chapter 2 Dream or Memory?

They continued to walk in silence through the incredibly long hallway. The lighting was dark and Ib could barely see what was in front, all she knew is that the walls around them were blue. She continued to hold on to Garry's sleeve as they walked for minutes, trying to find a way out of this room.

"Strange, we've been walking for several minutes already; shouldn't we be seeing at least a door? Or a doorway that leads to another room would do, too. And there aren't any monsters…" Garry said.

Ib kept silent as they continued to walk. Soon, as if answering both their wishes, they saw a red door at the end.

"Finally!" Garry sighed as he walked near the door. "And it's unlocked, too! Probably the second best news I've encountered since I got here!"

"What's the first?" Ib asked curiously.

"The first? It's meeting you, of course!" Garry flashed her a smile as he opened the door, oblivious to Ib's blushing face. Probably because of the terrible lighting.

"Well, not exactly what I really wanted, but a change in the scenery is also good." Garry entered the room and looked around. It didn't look like it, but somehow, this room gave him the creeps. "And are those paintings of women?"

Ib looked to where he was pointing and she definitely saw paintings on the far left. She turned to her right and also saw mannequins.

"There are mannequins over there…" She said as she pulled Garry's sleeve to gain his attention.

"Ack, this is bad." Garry said as he scratched his head. "We're surrounded…"

"Let's pass by the mannequins."

"Are you sure?"

Ib nodded with certainty in her eyes. "I'm sure."

"If you say so, but if they move an inch, be ready to run."

They passed by the mannequins in a tip-toe manner, as if afraid that a single noise will disrupt it from its sleep and chase them. Thankfully it didn't, and they got pass the four mannequins. They saw a door but it was locked, so they had to explore more.

"Hey, two doors." Ib whispered to Garry. "Let's check it out."

After fiddling with the doors for a while, Garry sighed. "No use, they're both locked."

"Wait…" Ib stared closely at the locks on the doors. "We need passwords. The first one is 'how many women are there in this room?'"

"This one is asking for only a password, no hints or anything. Maybe there's a clue in one of the paintings?"

They searched around the room, counting the paintings of women while they're at it, and found a single painting that didn't belong in the room.

"It's the painting in the gallery…"

"Yeah, 'The Hanging Man'…wait, there's something on his clothes…5629, is that the password to the other room?" Garry said is he looked closer to the painting.

"If he's hanging upside down, wouldn't the numbers also be upside down?"

"You're right! Thanks Ib! So, do you know how many paintings of women are there?"

"If you count the ones now crawling about, 14."

"What? They came out of their frames already?"

Ib nodded. She was also kinda surprised when she saw them. But fortunately they aren't bright enough to follow them.

"If so, we better hurry."

They hurried back to the two locked doors and inputted '6295'. There was a click and they entered the room. It was empty except for a canvas and a table with a vase on it.

"Hmm, there seems to be nothing of interest here…" Garry said as he pushed the table to the left. "What's the significance of locking this room?" He pushed it again. "I mean, if there isn't anything here, why would they bother locking it?" Another push to the left and they heard another click that came from the outside.

"Did I do that?" Garry asked in surprise. It was pure luck that he did it right without even knowing it. "Well, we better check it out."

Once out of the room, they noticed a mannequin head just beside the door.

"Was this…here before…?" Ib asked.

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't. Anyway, let's get in that room." Garry said as they hurried away from the mannequin head without even looking at it twice.

Ib inputted the number 14 and they successfully got in. This room had a vase with water in it and a bookshelf at the corner.

"Ib, wanna put your rose in there?"

"No, it's fine. I'll save it for later." She said as she browsed through the bookshelf. There was a book that seemed interesting, but other than that, it was completely useless. "Well, there seemed to be another door that was unlocked, why don't we check it out?"

"Sure."

As soon as they got out, another Lady in Red saw them and started chasing them.

"Oh god, is it me or does it seem like the monsters have increased?" Garry panted as they got in the room on the far right side. It was empty except for a mirror hanging on the wall.

"No, it's real." Ib said as she walked to the mirror and Garry followed.

They stared at their reflection for a while, with them standing side by side when a crash startled them. A mannequin head appeared and it was blocking the door.

"When did this get in here? Ugh, I can't lift or move it."

They looked at their reflection for a while again and almost had a heart attack when the mannequin head was suddenly at Garry's shoulder. It had somehow move from the door to behind Garry in a matter of seconds.

"Shit!" Garry yelled as he tripped over and stared at the mannequin head in horror. Anger appeared on his face for the first time since Ib met him and she was about to stop him from kicking the mannequin head when he suddenly inhaled and stopped. "Heh, that was childish of me, sorry, Ib. But this thing almost gave me a heart attack! What's with this place?"

Ib shook her head as she held onto him again. They were once again out of the room and they didn't find anything useful at all.

"So the purpose of the room was to just give us a scare?"

"Garry, I think I see a key there in front of the Lady in Green. Maybe it opens one of the doors left."

Garry stared at the suspiciously. "Maybe, but I don't think I like where it's placed."

"C'mon, even if she does jump, we'll make a run for it."

"Fine, let's go."

They walked towards the Lady in Green painting while careful not to attract attention for the other monsters. As they stood in front of the Lady in Green and the gray key, Ib swallowed hard. She knows exactly what will happen, but she had to do it. She picked up the key and ran as fast as she can to the nearest locked door with Garry close behind her, dodging other enemy attacks. Ib almost cried out when the key fit the door and they slammed it shut once they were inside.

"Dammit, this isn't good for my heart…" Garry slid down to floor with the door against his back.

Ib sat beside him as she waited for her pulse to slow down. She was having a slight migraine but pretended she was alright, since she didn't want Garry to worry. When her heartbeat finally recovered, she took a look around. There was a window half blocked by a bookshelf and it looked suspicious to her.

"Hey, Garry, can you move the other bookshelf to block the window?"

"Sure, but why? Well, it doesn't look like there's something good outside to see, either." Garry stood up and did what Ib asked. He also thought that putting a window there was kinda weird.

"I just…feel the need to block the window, thanks, anyway." Ib shrugged as she moved on to the painting hanging on the wall. It took her a while to notice it, but the couple on the painting was her mother and father, just a few years younger. "Isn't this…mama and papa?"

"Hmm? Your parents? Impossible." Garry said as he stood beside Ib, examining the painting and then gasping in disbelief. "You're right! They both look a bit like you! How can this be here?"

"I have no idea…" Ib said softly, though her voice was slightly trembling. She was fine before she saw this painting, she didn't really think of her parents that much since she came here because she knew she would break down, but after seeing this, all she wanted to do was cry. The migraine grew worse as she tried to suppress her tears. She didn't want to cry in front Garry.

She felt a hand softly patting her shoulder and she looked up to see Garry smiling gently at her. "It's alright, Ib, I'm sure your parents are alright. We'll just have to find a way out of here, and then you'll reunite with them very soon. You look tired, want to sit on that sofa for a while?"

Ib nodded as she walked towards it. Any second later and she might collapse. She rested for a few minutes while Garry was reading some of the books in the bookshelf. Once she felt better, they both went to the door but noticed it was locked.

"Huh? Strange, this wasn't locked before…"

"Garry, I think I hear someone banging on the wall…" Ib clutched his sleeve as she moved closer to him.

As soon as she said it, the door was smashed down by a Lady in Yellow, and Lady in Green and Lady in Red soon followed after her. They lunged at Ib and Garry as soon as they saw them and Ib cried as two petals from her rose fell to the ground.

"Ib, c'mon, we can go through the hole they made!" Garry pulled Ib with him as they went through the hole. Outside wasn't any better than the inside, as it was crawling with monsters and mannequins. "Hey, the last door is open! If we run, we might just make it!"

Ib ran as fast as she could and thought a mannequin almost grabbed her as they passed through the door. They kept on running in a hallway and eventually slowed down when they realized that there aren't anymore monsters chasing them.

"Whew…*pant*, I'm never, ever going back to that room again." Garry panted heavily as he faced the door they just went through. "Since there aren't anymore monsters, let's go…"

He turned around just in time to see Ib fall to the ground and catch her before she hit the floor head first.

"Ib! Are you alright? Ib!"

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"_Ugh…my head." Ib said as she clutched her head in pain. This was the worst headache she has ever felt and it felt like it was going to split her head in two. "Where am I?" Ib said as she looked around. It looked exactly like the first hallway she went through a while ago, where she got the rose. Everything was the same except for one thing, she noticed the walls were taller and the two paintings were higher, or it was her who shrunk?_

"_Impossible…" She looked at her hands and almost cried in surprise. She _did _shrink, and she was now wearing a white blouse with a red tie and red mini skirt, the exact same clothing she wore years ago when she visited the art gallery for the first time. She was now back to a 9 year old! Even her voice has changed to a child._

"_Don't panic, this is just a dream…" Ib reassured herself, but she still yelped when the scenery suddenly changed. She was now standing in front of a man who was lying face down on the floor. In her hands was a beautiful and healthy-looking blue rose._

"_Huh? The pain…it's gone?" The man said weakly as he looked up at her. It was Garry, just younger looking._

_Another change and she was now face to face with a blonde haired blue eyed girl wearing a green dress and holding her hand while Garry was right behind her._

"_Pleased to meet you!"_

"_Sure." She said cooly and instinctively. She didn't really want to say it, but it just came out of her mouth naturally, like she was supposed to say it._

_By now Ib was used to the changing scenes and settings, so she just patiently waited for the next one to take place. This time she was together with the girl and Garry in a room filled with bunny ornaments. It was cute, but Garry looked almost terrified by it, as if he was seeing something different. Then they walked out just to be separated._

_She had to go with the girl to find a way to reunite with Garry but they found the door blocked after they got in another room, so they had to push on. After a while the girl seemed a little bit insane so Ib was about to go down the stairs and leave her alone when she suddenly appeared with a palette knife in hand. Garry came just in time before she struck her and there was a moment of pulling and pushing before Garry pushed her and Mary was knocked unconscious._

_Wait, Mary? Is that her name? Probably. Ib shrugged. The next scene they were at a place where all the things around them seemed to be just drawn out from crayons and they were in a room that looked like it belonged to a girl. Suddenly, Mary appeared behind them, enraged to find them there, and she chased them towards the painting at the end of the room before Garry pulled out his lighter and lit the painting on fire. Mary screamed as she was also bunt to ashes the same time with the painting._

_They stared at the pile of ashes for a while. There was a nearly burnt yellow rose lying on top of it, and for some reason Ib felt pity. The next scene they were standing in front of a big painting similar to the one in the art gallery. Garry jumped in before her and when she was about to do the same, her mother suddenly appeared, scolding her for making them worried and going along with a total stranger. Her eyes shifted from Garry at the other side of the painting and to her mother and back to Garry again, who was now stretching his hand towards Ib. Confusion filled her mind, as she knew Garry was waiting for her at the other side, but then again, this might just all be a hallucination and that her mother has come and fetch her. A trap. After looking at the woman who resembled her mother, Ib jumped in the painting._

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Ib sat up as she panted heavily. She noticed Garry's coat was draped on her and he was looking at some books on the bookshelf. They were in a small gray room with some bookshelves and a painting. It wasn't long before Garry noticed Ib to be awake and he knelt down beside her.

"You're awake now? Good. Are you alright? You scared me back there."

"I'm sorry…"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not mad. Besides, it's not your fault. Hmm, normally I have some lemon candies in my coat pocket but it seems like I just ran out of them today, or else I would've given them to you. I'll give you some when we get out of here." Garry smiled at her. "Well, then, you can rest if you still want to, there's no rush. I'll just be there when you need me."

He walked back to the bookshelf he was browsing at and left Ib. she felt fine, so she stood up and picked up his jacket. It was rude to leave it on the ground, after all.

"Garry, here's your coat. Thanks." Ib said as she handed him the coat.

""Hmm? Oh! Thanks. You sure you don't want to lie down for a little while longer?" Ib shook her head. "Ok, then, tell me when you want to set out again."

Going out right now didn't sound inviting, so Ib decided to look at some books first and prepare first before going out again. Who knows what will they encounter next?

The books in that room didn't really interest her, so she walked beside Garry to see what he was looking at. "Do you like reading?"

"Me? Sometimes, if the book is interesting enough." Garry shrugged. "And I don't see anything that picks my interest here."

"Then what are you looking at?"

"Just reading some of the titles. How about you? Do you like reading?"

"The same as you. I don't really bother touching a book if I'm not interested."

"Hmm, do you know macaroons?"

"Yes, of course, I love them!" Ib smiled.

"Really? Then why don't we go get some together after we get out of this hellhole? There's a café that I always go to near the art gallery and their macaroons taste like heaven, especially the raspberry flavored ones."

"You mean the café that just opened a month ago? I've always wanted to go there and taste some of their food, but mama and papa doesn't give me enough allowance."

"I see, so it's a deal then." Garry smiled at her.

"Yup, a deal, and you'll be sure to treat me, right?"

"Of course."

"Pinky swear?" Ib raised her right pinky finger.

"Pinky swear? Aren't you a bit too old for that?" Garry raised an eyebrow but he nevertheless did a pinky swear with her.

"Say, Garry, I had a dream a while ago…"

"A good dream or a nightmare?" Garry focused his attention on Ib.

"I can't tell, it's more like a memory than a dream…"

"A memory of your childhood, perhaps?"

"Maybe. I remember I was still a kid in the dream, and the place is exactly the same with where we are right now, this 'world'."

Garry frowned as he thought it through. "Then I'm not the only one getting these weird dreams…" he whispered to himself, but it was still loud enough for Ib to hear.

"You, too?"

"Yeah, but I started having it a few days ago." Garry recalled. He always sat up from his bed in the dead of the night panting and sweating. It wasn't really that much terrifying, but there was this feeling of forgetting something. Something very important.

"Do you think…that we've been through this before?" Ib asked. She was desperate for answers, and the only person she can ask is Garry.

"You mean this place and the monster roaming about? I don't know." Garry said bluntly. "To be honest, I'm not even sure if this is reality anymore. I mean, these supernatural things…it's impossible."

"But do you think you've been through this before?" Ib pressed on.

"Well, yeah, since I had this feeling of déjà vu ever since I came here. It's weird. And I remember from my dreams that I was with a young girl wearing a white blouse and red mini skirt, with the exact same…eyes…" Garry's voice trailed off as he noticed Ib's eye color. "Like yours…"

Well, Ib didn't really tell him that she also met him in her dream, though a bit younger. She was blushing under his gaze and moved her eyes away to avoid eye contact, but Garry insisted.

"Wait, you have the same eyes as the girl in my dream! Don't tell me…!"

"I didn't tell you that you were in my dream, too, though younger…" Ib said as she pushed Garry's hands away from her face. Garry was still staring at her eyes.

"I was? Then it isn't a dream…" Garry said, wide-eyed, as he put his palm against his forehead. "If we both had the same dream, then that means what we had weren't dreams, but flashbacks of what had happened…"

Ib lowered her head as she listened to him rant.

"And I was wondering what had happened during the forgotten hours in the gallery…I was in the painting all along with you…but if that's that case, why can't I remember anything until now?"

"You remember?"

"Yeah, though just bits and pieces, and I remember things which didn't appear in my dream at all, so that's enough proof I'm not mistaking it for the dreams I had."

"I was hoping you'd have the answers to my question…"

"Oh, sorry, but I'm just as confused as you." Garry smiled apologetically. "We can uncover some answers while we try to find a way out of here, maybe even get some of our memories back."

Ib nodded at him. He continued to browse the bookcase and she wandered around the little room for a while, hoping to find something useful. She found a vase with water and she realized that she only had three petals left. After recovering her rose to full health, and after thoroughly searching the place, she decided to tell Garry she wanted to head out now.

"Are you sure?" Garry asked as he closed a book he was reading. "You don't want to rest longer?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Ok, then, let's go." He put the book back at the shelf and they both went out of the room together. Ib noticed that the room isn't too far from the place where she collapsed.

"Garry, were you the one…who carried me to the room?"

"Of course, silly, who else would? Don't worry; I'm not troubled at all, in fact, you're pretty light for a teenager, so that's ok."

Just the thought of being carried in Garry's arms made Ib blush. "Um, thanks again."

"No worries." Garry smiled at her, and that just made her already red cheeks burn. "If you feel tired or anything after this, tell me, alright?"

"Y-yeah…" Ib nodded. She has never felt this embarrassed yet at the same time safe in her whole life, not even when she was a kid. Garry always gave off this comforting feeling of safety, whether in the dream (or memory) or right now.

* * *

Ok, so this chapter wasn't as long as I had expected, and Ib still sounds OOC, I'm terribly sorry! I'll try to make it better next time. There's always space for improvements, right? :)

A few "not-so-much" spoilers for the next few chapter, from the first chapter to this chapter, the place, events, and settings were still "sorta" like the game, but starting from this chapter onward, the place, settings, events, or the sequence of the events will be: the same, slightly different, lot's of differences, or totally different, depending on my mood or what idea popped into my head during the time I write the chapter.

So...please leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3 Nice to Meet You

I can't believe how good the other chapters were based on the reviews. Thank you, guys! (tears)

Also, sorry for the grammatical errors in the previous chapter; I was rushing to get it published and forgot to proofread it. I'll be extra careful this time, though no guarantees that this chapter will be error-proof either.

Aaannnddd~~ here comes the third chapter! Sorry if this took _AGES_ to publish.

As summer has started in other countries, school started here in the Philippines. (major sigh)

I'm not gonna say when is the next chapter coming out, since I have no idea when, and I'm not going to make assumptions either, since the actual publish is always later than the assumed date.

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Chapter 3 Nice to Meet You

Ib and Garry continued to press on forward. The place still gave them the creeps, and knowing there were hoards of monsters waiting somewhere for them didn't help either, but at least they knew that they had been through this before, so that alone is enough for them to know that everything will be okay, right?

Ib didn't think so.

If everything is just repeating itself, then doesn't that mean they'll have to face Mary again? She didn't know if she had the courage to meet her after what they had done in the past, heartlessly burning her painting, killing her together with it. But then again, this place looked exactly how it looked like seven years ago, like it was reset, so maybe the Mary they will encounter will have no knowledge about them whatsoever?

Ib hoped it would be the case. She also didn't want to burn her painting again and watch her cry in agony as she turns to ashes. That scene can make any person have nightmares, be it adult or child, as what Ib felt after she remembered that part.

She looked at Garry, who slowly peeked in a door to see if the coast is clear. He either knows about Mary and is hiding it or he doesn't remember her yet.

"Well, looks like this place is safe, too, for now." He sighed. "All this exploring while being mindful about the possibilities that a monster might ambush us isn't good for my mind..."

Ib followed him inside and she looked around. This time the room was a bright yellow, almost too bright for the eye. It was filled with different kinds of paintings, but fortunately, there weren't any paintings of women.

"This place doesn't look familiar." Ib told Garry. He also looked around.

"Yeah, this place didn't appear in my dreams, too. Maybe it's a new area we haven't been to in the past?"

Ib knew that wasn't the case. The area they have previously passed through was the same as the one in her memory, after they passed through that door, they were supposed to be in a purple room, why is it yellow? And the decorations and paintings were also different. "No, this room is supposed to be purple, I remember."

"You do?" Garry looked at her. "That's strange...you remember more than I do. Anyway, maybe this place changed after all those years? It's possible."

Ib had also thought of that, but why didn't the previous rooms and hallways look different, too? Isn't it strange that only this room is different from what she remembers? Somehow she felt something's gonna happen soon, and she doesn't think it'll be a good thing.

"Let's hurry, I don't like this place." Ib took Garry's hand and pulled him with her.

"Ah, you don't have to walk that fast."

Ib didn't reply, she just kept walking, searching for the exit. They went around the whole room but didn't see a single door that will lead them to another room.

"Maybe there's a puzzle somewhere." Garry suggested. They looked around for any suspicious looking stuff. They moved paintings, read the inscription on the walls, searched if there were any hidden buttons on the wall or in the paintings, but they didn't find anything that can help.

"Weird...why can't we find the exit?" Garry said as he sat on the floor, tired of walking around and searching. "Why don't we rest for a while, Ib? You look tired yourself, too."

"No, there must be a way out." Ib said, still looking around.

"Ib, are you claustrophobic?"

"No."

"Then what are you panicking about? Why don't you rest for a moment, then we'll search again."

"No, I...don't like this room." Ib replied.

"You don't like it? What's with this room that has you so spooked?" Garry stood up and decided to continue and help Ib search for anything that can take them out of this place.

"I don't know, I just don't like it. I have a feeling that something else is here, and it isn't good."

"Ok, now you're seriously creeping me out." Garry shuddered. He isn't exactly good with ghost and the like. He never liked them.

They continued to search for minutes, if not hours, and they finally saw a small button near a painting, almost invisible if not searched properly. Ib pushed it and the wall beside the painting moved upwards, revealing another passageway. Ib rushed inside without any hesitation and Garry quickly followed after her.

"Ah!"

Garry heard Ib scream and he ran towards the direction she went. "Ib! Are you alright?"

When he found her, she was sitting on the ground and standing in front of her was a boy about as old as Ib with the same startled expression as hers.

"Oh, who's this?" Garry asked as he helped Ib standup. The boy was tall, but not as tall as Garry, with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a white polo shirt with jeans and sneakers.

"Uh, I'm Michael. Sorry for bumping into you, I didn't expect someone else to be here with me."

Ib shook her head, blushing. "It's alright, I wasn't hurt. By the way, my name's Ib and this is Garry." she introduced him. "Are you from the gallery, too?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah, I was looking at some paintings when I realized that I was suddenly in a different place."

"Then we're all searching for a way out. Why don't you come with us?" Ib offered.

"And I thought you wouldn't ask." Michael sighed in relief. "Thanks a lot."

Ib walked in front of the two guys and Michael was walking beside Garry, who was suddenly in a foul mood. This Michael guy annoyed him, and it wasn't only the fact that he became fast friends with Ib. Something about his presence made Garry want to recoil, but he couldn't, since it was rude, and Michael somehow made Garry feel…afraid? Or was it disgust? He couldn't tell.

They continued down the hallway until they has to decide whether to go left or go right.

"Why don't we go right first? I think I see a vase, you guys might want to replenish the health of your rose."

Now that Garry thought about it, his rose was lacking two petals, though he couldn't remember exactly where he lost it.

"Hey, Michael, do you have a rose, too?" Garry asked as he watched his rose gain two new petals.

"Hmm...? Yeah, a white one." He took it out from his pocket.

"Oh, it's a white rose! Mine is red!" Ib also pulled out hers and showed it to him.

"It's pretty." Michael said. "White and red makes pink, right? What does pink mean?"

Ib stared at him quizzically.

"Pink means love." He smiled and Ib blushed furiously.

"But I though red means love…?"

"Yes, both of them mean love, but while red means hot passion, pink means romantic and charming."

Ok, now Garry really, really wants to punch him, and his own thought made him surprised. He never thought of punching someone, even if other people pissed him off. This is actually the first time he felt this way toward another person.

"C'mon, let's hurry and get out of this place." Michael took Ib's hand and pulled her. Garry felt his right eye twitch from annoyance as he watched from behind. Michael was obviously interested in Ib, and he couldn't blame him. Ib was seriously too cute. Ib looked like she also likes him back, but maybe it's because Michael looks more like a model or movie star than a normal high school student. Aren't most girls her age crazy about good-looking guys?

He sighed as they continued to chat while walking and he just followed behind them. They went through different rooms that he didn't remember at all and Ib didn't seem to notice it. They approached two doors, one of which was locked.

"Somehow I'm not surprised that the door is locked." Said Garry as he tried to turn the knob, failing to open it. "Let's check the other room."

Fortunately, it wasn't locked, but unfortunately, it was a room Garry remembered oh so well, and he didn't like it at all. It still sent shivers down his spine after all those years.

"Wow, this place is filled with them!" Michael exclaimed. "It's cute, don't you think?"

Ib looked around with a wide smile. "Yeah, it's cute…"

Garry raised an eyebrow. What's so cute about these terrifying dolls with blue skin and red eyes? This whole room was literally screaming at him, telling him what had happened years ago. He remembered how he was trapped inside this room before, but he when he tried to remember how he went out of the room, he would feel a terrible pain at the back of his head, as if not wishing him to remember at all.

"Hmm…the painting says 'Red Eyes'…" Ib read out loud. "The name suites them, don't you think?"

_Yeah, red eyes, staring at me like they want to devour me or something. Suites them really well._ Garry thought bitterly to himself. "Hey, let's hurry up and find the key to the other room and get out of here already."

"Alright." Ib said as she walked around the tables. "I remember there was a key somewhere…"

A doll suddenly fell from the table and a key bounced out. Michael took the key and handed it to Ib, their fingertips touching ever so slightly. "Thanks, now we can go to the other room."

"What did you mean by 'you remember'? You said it a while ago." Michael looked at Ib and then at Garry.

"Oh, well, this is hard to explain…"

"We've been here before." Garry said, his arms crossed. "About seven years ago."

"Really?! Wow, then you guys must know what to do to get out, right?"

"Not…really…you see, this place has changed since then. Some are still the same, like this room, and others have completely changed."

"Oh…seven years ago, huh…?" Michael's voice trailed off. He looked depressed when he said those words.

"What's wrong? You look sad." Ib asked him out of concern.

It took a while before he replied back. "My sister died seven years ago, too, in a fire."

"That's horrible…" Ib covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry I brought it up…"

"Nah," Michael smiled at her, "You didn't know. Speaking of which, shouldn't we get going?"

They went out of the room and was about to approach the locked one when they heard a rustling sound. It sounded like it was coming out of a painting. The nearest and only painting there was a painting with nothing on it but brown paint. They went nearer to see if it was the painting that was giving off the noise, and they saw that there was a red dot on it. The dot grew bigger as the noise grew louder and before Ib and Garry could realized what was going on, stone vines emerged from the ground. Garry pushed Ib out of the way before the vines could get her and they were separated, Garry and Michael together at the side where the locked door was.

"Ib! Are you alright? Sorry I pushed you so hard…" Garry said through the stone vines.

"I'm fine." Ib stood and brushed her skirt. "But we're separated…"

"This time you're on that side, huh?" Garry sighed. "We've got no other option, I guess. Why don't you pass the key to us and we'll investigate the locked room?"

Ib nodded as she slid her hand through the gap between the stone vines and passed the key to Garry. "Thanks, we'll just go to search for something to help you out, you stay put, alright?"

"But you guys won't come back…" Ib said.

"Don't worry, we will…"

"No, you won't." Ib interrupted Michael at mid-sentence. "Once you go in that room, the door will be blocked. Last time, it was blocked off by a mannequin; I don't know what will this time."

"I see…" Garry lowered his head in thought. "Okay, I'll tell you something. There's a cabinet in that room there that can be moved aside, behind it is a hole to another room…and then…" His voice trailed off.

"Garry?"

"I can't remember…ugh, my head hurts…" He frowned as he put a finger on his temple. "Every time I try to remember something important, it always hurts…"

Ib's eyes widened in surprise. "You too?"

"Don't tell me you feel the same way…" Garry looked at Ib and his frown turned to a scowl when he saw her nod her head. "I think there's something that's tampering with our memories of this place…anyway, we should get going. Sorry, but you're on your own after you pass through the hole."

Ib smiled and nodded, telling Garry that it's all going to be alright, and disappeared behind the door. Garry stood there for about five minutes before Michael's cough pulled him back to reality. He completely forgot abut him.

"Shouldn't we get going too?" Michael pointed at the key Garry was gripping. "And you probably should let go, I think your hand is about to bleed."

"What? Oh." He dropped the key and rubbed his hand against the side of his shirt. Michael picked up the dropped key and gave him a very weird look.

"Something tells me that the relationship between you two isn't as simple as just being 'friends'…" Michael said as he unlocked the door and stepped in.

Garry followed him inside the room as he nodded. "Yeah, she's like a little sister to me."

Michael blinked and started laughing. He was laughing so hard that he had to bend down and hug his stomach while tears started to form at the corner of his eyes. Garry just watched him laugh, oblivious to the reason of his sudden laughter, and just stood there. He somehow had a feeling that Michael was laughing because of what he said. He waited until his laughter died down before asking him.

"Oh god, Garry, I meant the other kind of relationship." Michael wiped away his tears.

"Other kind of relationship…?" Garry stared at him, not sure where this conversation is going to.

"You know, a girl and a guy liking each other, couples?" Michael stared back at him with an amused expression. "Gosh you are dense for someone your age."

Finally, Garry got his message and immediately felt blood rush to his face. "O-oh, that kind of relationship…"

"And now you're as red as a tomato."

"W-wait a second! What're you talking about?! I don't…I-I mean, it's impossible between us because…" Garry waved his hands in the air in defense.

"Because…?"

Garry stared at Michael, at a loss for words. _Because it's obvious she likes you, dammit._ He gritted his teeth, wishing for an explanation for his anger. He sees her only as a little sister, why is he feeling this way?

"Because…" Garry sighed, calming himself. "I'm too old for her, just look at our age gap, and I'm pretty sure she likes somebody else."

"And people say that age is just a number." Michael shook his head. "And she likes somebody else? I dunno, I could see it in her eyes."

"You're just making assumptions." Garry replied. "Now shouldn't we continue to press forward?"

"Whatever you say, captain." Michael rolled his eyes at Garry's ignorance. He knew Ib's feeling when he noticed that she kept on glancing back, where Garry was, when they were talking, and he knew how Garry actually felt when he saw him clench his fists while Michael took Ib's hand. What a stupid pair. He meant no offence, of course; it was fun seeing them like this.

* * *

So, I'm finally done with chapter 3! That means I have to start with the next chapter. Ah, at least it's better than school. I wish I could write fanfic as a job, how nice would that be...

Anyway, please show some love and leave a review! :D


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